Harvest Tips - pull when beets reach your desired size. Days to maturity tend to be between 50 and 70 for most varieties, although they can be harvested at any time you see fit. For the greens, harvest the foliage when it is less than 6 inches tall. For the beets themselves, they are ready when they are about 2 inches around. If you like larger bulbs, wait longer, but understand they will be tougher and woody.﻿

Other Growing Tips - Wait until soil reaches 50 degrees before planting.﻿ Remember to keep beets well weeded as they will become tough and stringy if they have to compete for space to grow. Before planting, make sure that the soil is loose, rich and as well-drained as possible so that the roots can grow without stress. Beets are a cool weather crop, so its best to plant seeds as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring or plant in fall. Mulch and water well. Beets need to maintain plenty of moisture so don't let them dry out.

For a continus supply of greens and tender beets, sow seeds at 2 week intervals during the planting season.

Nutritional Facts - Beets contain good amouts of anti-oxidants and are a good source of Calcium and Vitamin C. The greens of the beet plants contain a wealth of potassium, calcium and Vitamin C. The are aslo righ in fiber, which helps to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The beet root contains high levels of glycine betaine which helps fight against platelet clots and plaque formation in the arteries.

Available - 1/2 oz. and 1 oz. packages.﻿

Detroit Dark Red Beets are the most popular, all purpose beet available. They are uniform and smooth in shape and are sweet and tasty.

Easy-to-grow beets do double-duty in the kitchen, producing tasty roots for baking, boiling or sautéing and fresh greens to boil or steam.﻿

Beets are closely related to Swiss chard and spinach. Avoid following these crops in rotation.﻿

To improve germination, soak beet seeds in water overnight at room temperature.

Beets are biennials. Normally, they produce an enlarged root during their first season. Then after overwintering they produce a flower stalk. If they experience two to three weeks of temperatures below 45 F after they have formed several true leaves during their first season, a flower stalk may grow prematurely. Many newer varieties are less sensitive to this problem.﻿